Device for dispensing napkins



Aug. 18, 1925. 1,550,544

E. J. HANSEN DEVICE FOR DISPENSING NAPKINS Filed April 42, 1925 Iliff Au 4 17ml J'amm 5 wh/2f Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

EMIL J. Hansen, or GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN. y

DEVICE FOR DISPENSIN G NAPKINS. l

Application tiled April 2, 1925. Serial No. 20,141.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.:

Y Be it known that EMIL J. HANSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin,has invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for DispensingNapkins, of which the following is a speciiication.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which will holdnapkins by means of weights placed along their ends in a receptaclewherein they may be readily accessible to the user.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fixture havingmovable weights that cannot be removed when there are any substantialnumber of napkins therein.

It is afurther'object ofthe invention tc provide a fixture havingmovable weights and simple meansv to' retain the weights in elevatedposition while napkins are being placed in the fixture.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawingsshowing an illustrative embodiment of the invention and wherein Fig. 1is a side elevation;

2 is a plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one corner of the empty fixtureshowing a weight in retained elevated position and showing in dottedlines the method of assembling a weight with the fixture.

As shown, the device comprises a tray having a preferably solid bottommember 10, which may be placed upon any suitable pedestal, not shown.Sides 11-12 are provided, which may, if desired, be formed integrallywith the bottom of the device and end members 13-14-15-16 extending aportion only of the width of the bottom 10.

The sides 13-14 are preferably formed integrally with the side 11, andthe end members 15-16 integrally with the side 12. When so formed, theentire device may be made from a suitable integral blank stamped from asheet of material and bent to the form illustrated.

The sides 11-12 are shown cut away at 1.7-18 to give ready access to thecontents of the tray and the end members 13 to 16 inclusive, leaving aportion of the end open to allow ready inspection of the contents of thetray.

The width of the end members referred to is sufficient to retain thenapkins within the tray and to stiften and brace the side members 1l-12.end members 13 lto 16 inclusive `may be se- The lower ends of the curedto the margin of the base 10 as by soldering or welding in anywell-known manner. j

To retain napkins in the tray in a manner kto make them readilyaccessible to the user, weights 19-20 are shown resting upon the ends ofthe napkins. As shown, these weights are in the form of cylindricalrods, although their cross-section may be anything desired. j

Toguide the weights in vertical travel as the napkins are withdrawn,there are shown slots 21 in the ends of the sides 11--12 parallel withthe end members 13-16. To retain theweights in the slots each weight isshown as provided adjacent each of its ends Vwith a reduced portion orneck `22 of dimension to freely slide in the slot. To retain the weightsinthe slot, the ends thereof are shown as formed with buttons 23,preferably of substantially the same dimension as the body of the weight19-20- Provision is made for the assembly of the weights with thefixture in the ferm of an opening' 24- at the bottomk or" cach slot 21,and closely adjacent the bottom of the side 11 or 12.

The opening referred to is made large enough to freely admit the button23 and the body of the rod 19 or 2O in the manner shown in dotted linesin 3, and the weights may be readily assembled with the fixture whenthere are no napkins therein. However, when napkins are in the tray inany substantial quantity, the weights cannot be lowered tol position tobe slipped out through the openings 24. This point is important for useof the fixture in public places where patrons of a restaurant, .forinstance, would idly remove the weights with their attendant loss if itwere possible.

To retain the weights in elevated position out of the way while napkinsare being placed in the fixture, an offset portion 25 is provided at thetop of each slot 21. If the weights are lifted to the upper end of theslot 21 and moved laterally the necks 22 will be received by the oifsets25 and the weights will then lie therein until returned to the top ofthe freshly inserted napkins. A.

Minor changes may be made inthe physical embodiment of the inventionwithout departing from the spirit.

I claim:

l. A xture for dispensing paper sheets, comprising a tray, movableweights adapted to lie upon the sheets in said tray, means to guide saidweights in their movement as the quantity of sheets varies, and means toprevent removal of said weights when there is a substantial quantity ofsheets in the tray.

2. A fixture for dispensing paper sheets, comprising a tray havingvertical guides adjacent the ends of its side members, weights travelingin said guides, and means wherebj7 the presence of a substantial numberof sheets in the tray may prevent removal of the weights from theguides.

3. A fixture for dispensing paper sheets, comprising a tray havingvertical guides adjacent the ends of its side members, weights travelingin said guides, means whereby the presence of a substantial number ofsheets in the tray maj7 prevent removal of the weight from the guides,and means to reta-in the weights in elevated position while renewing thesupply of sheets in the tray.

4. A fixture for dispensing paper sheets, comprising a tray and weights,the said tray having side members formed with plane surfaces, a verticalslot adjacent each end of each side member, the upper end of each slotwidened to provide a recess in the plane of the side member surroundingthe same, said recess laterally offset from the path of the slot, thelower margin of each recess adjacent the side of the slot extendingabove the bottom of the remainder thereof, thesaid weights beingelongated and terminating in reduced portions at their ends, each ofsaid portions engaging one of said slots, wherebyY said reduced portionsmay be raised and retained in said recesses to support the weights whilethe sheets in the fixture are replenished.

5. A fixture for dispensing paper sheets, comprising a tray havingvertical slots in its side walls adjacent the ends thereof, weightshaving reduced neck portions traveling in said slots adapted to restupon theends of the sheets in said tray, openings at the lower ends ofsaid slots adapted to pass said weights and their head portions exteriorof the said necks for assembly of the weights with the tra)7 when thereis no substantial quantity of sheets in the tray, said slots havingoffset portions adjacent their upper ends to receive said necks' forsupport of the weights while replenishing the supply of sheets in thetray.

EMIL J. HANSEN.

